Tag: stallion

Solomini Stamps Himself as Sire to Watch in Saratoga

Just a few miles from where her freshman sire stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Soloshot had an auspicious start to her career when the daughter of Solomini wired the field to break her maiden by 7 3/4 lengths on Aug. 27 at Saratoga. Trained by George Weaver, the filly was a $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic purchase for Bregman Family Racing, Jackpot Farm and Swinbank Stables.

Fast and Frisky, another daughter of Solomini, completed the exact with Soloshot in the New York-bred juvenile contest and later on the same card, another filly by the first-crop sire made a strong showing when My Shea D Lady ran third in the Seeking the Ante S. The Carlos David trainee was Solomini's first winner back at Gulfstream on July 1.

With the support Solomini received from breeders that led to a first book of 123 mares in 2020, the team at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds believes that their son of Curlin has much more to show as the year continues and beyond.

“Solomini has had a really great start to his career based upon mares bred,” said the farm's John McMahon. “We're very enthusiastic about his success. I think the initial attraction was the Curlin, at the rate that he pumps out Classic-style horses, and his Grade I, 2-year-old form.”

Initially campaigned by Zayat Stables and Bob Baffert, Solomini was a debut winner at two and he went on to run second to MGISW Bolt d'Oro in the GI Frontrunner S. and was runner-up behind champion Good Magic in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was third via disqualification in the GI Cash Call Futurity to close out his 2-year-old season and as a sophomore, placed in three graded contests including the GI Arkansas Derby.

The only son of Curlin in New York, Solomini also boasts a pedigree the includes active sires Midshipman and Frosted under his second dam.

When Solomini's first foals arrived, McMahon said the farm was thrilled to see that their sire was stamping his progeny.

“The stallion tends to throw very consistent,” he explained. “They're good-sized individuals and he puts a lot of chrome on a foal.”

In the sales ring last year, the stallion's yearlings averaged just under $30,000 from 29 sold, making him the leading first-crop yearling sire outside of Kentucky.

This year his progeny fared even better at auction. His $99,000 average from a $6,500 initial stud placed him in the top 10 leading first-crop stallions. A colt out of Timberlea (Flatter) now named Wynstock brought $700,000 at the OBS April Sale, selling to agent Donato Lanni for Dr. Edward Allred and Jack Liebau. Bumped at the start, he finished fourth on debut on Aug. 25. Also at OBS April, a colt out of Miss Bonnie (Officer) brought $290,000 and at OBS March, a filly out of Passeporta (Rockport Harbor) brought $200,000.

Solomini has three winners on the year thus far. Along with Soloshot and My Shea D Lady, the Rob Falcone-conditioned Nicky Jolene showed an affinity for turf when she broke her maiden at second asking on July 9 at Belmont.

Labor Day could be another important day of racing for Solomini as he has two juveniles entered for closing day of Saratoga. Solo Rye'd will try turf for David Donk in Race 1 and Solo's Fury is the morning-line favorite in his debut for Jeremiah Englehart in Race 6.

The post Solomini Stamps Himself as Sire to Watch in Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Big Dreams in Mind for City of Light’s New Rising Star

Named in honor of Mike Repole's beloved grandmother, Nonna Mia (Empire Maker) won her second career start by 12 lengths for Repole Stable in 2008 and she went on to place in the GI Frizette S. and GIII Tempted S. as a juvenile that year. The mare's first two foals Nonna's Boy (Distorted Humor) and eventual Grade I victor and sire Outwork (Uncle Mo) were both debut winners early in their 2-year-old years and her third foal Nonna Bella (Stay Thirsty) claimed her first two career starts at three.

Last Friday in Saratoga, Nonna Bella's son Fierceness (City of Light)–a second-generation homebred for Repole Stable–showed the same precocity that his family before him has displayed in his 11 plus-length dominating maiden score, but the Repole team is confident that with a sire like City of Light, the new 'TDN Rising Star' has much more to show.

“City of Light was very well received at the outset, got big books of mares, and they sold exceptionally well,” recalled Repole Stables General Manager Eddie Rosen. “But I think you have to remember that he didn't emerge until late in his 3-year-old year and then his 4-year-old year is when he excelled and was spectacular. I think he's one of those sires, like Curlin was, where you have to have some patience and understanding that the best is yet to come.”

City of Light earned his first Grade I victory in the 2017 Malibu S. four months after his maiden win and he went on to claim three more top-level scores including the 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

As a shareholder in City of Light, who is now a second-crop sire, Repole Stable has been a supporter of the Lane's End stallion from the get-go. They bred Nonna Bella to the son of Quality Road in his second year at stud hoping to emulate the cross that produced one of Quality Road's best daughters.

“Nona Bella is by Stay Thirsty–a son of Bernardini who Mike raced as well,” Rosen explained. “One of my favorite fillies of recent date is Dunbar Road, who is by Quality Road out of a Bernardini mare, so it was a nick that I thought would work.”

Fierceness as a foal at Lane's End | courtesy Lane's End Farm

 

And “work” it did as Fierceness was a standout from the start when he was foaled at Lane's End. While initially slated to go through the sales ring, he was ultimately withdrawn from Keeneland September and retained by his breeder.

Like his dam, granddam and both his grandsires, Fierceness was sent to represent the Todd Pletcher barn and he turned heads early there as well.

“He came into our Monmouth division and quickly showed that he was at the head of the class there,” Pletcher shared. “When we brought him in to Saratoga and got serious with some of his breezes, we were impressed with what we were seeing.”

Going into his debut with eight published works under his belt, Fierceness was sent off at even money and quickly turned the six furlong contest into a one-horse race. Taking the lead early, the bay opened up over the Saratoga slop to win in hand, coming home in 1:09 2/5.

“We knew that he had good gait speed from his works and we had a sloppy track, so we talked to Irad and said to make sure you get away from the gate alertly,” explained Pletcher. “We didn't want to be behind a bunch of horses in a sloppy track. So he broke alertly and it was a pretty straightforward performance from there. At the eighth pole you felt good about it and then he opened up impressively and Irad took him in hand late and the time was exceptional. It was everything you could hope for in a debut.”

“There are a lot of them where you're wishing for the wire or hoping to get there in time, but this was one where you could kind of sit back and enjoy the ride,” Rosen added with a laugh.

The 95 Beyer Speed Figure that Fierceness earned in his debut is the co-second highest number of any 2-year-old so far this year.

“It gives you a lot to look forward to,” Rosen said. “I think when you have a 2-year-old that wins like that first-time out, obviously dreams come to mind and the biggest dream is the first Saturday in May. But it's a long time between now and then.”

As for the rest of the colt's juvenile season, Pletcher said they are aiming to take on the Oct. 7 GI Champagne S. ahead of a trip to the Breeders' Cup.

Pletcher is looking forward to debuting another City of Light colt soon. Enlighten, a $450,000 yearling purchase for Centennial Farms, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.55 (1/23) on Aug. 27 at Saratoga.

“We're high on the City of Lights that we have,” Pletcher said. “There are so many good-looking ones that resemble City of Light, who greatly resembles Quality Road. I love to see that in a stallion line when they pass along similar conformation and looks.”

City of Light has 34 winners on the year thus far. On the same card that Fierceness debuted on, the stallion's 3-year-old daughter White Chocolate drew clear to break her maiden definitively for Chad Summers and Gold Square LLC. City of Light's six stakes winners are led by G3 UAE Oaks victress Mimi Kakushi, GI Alcibiades S. runner-up Chop Chop, and GSP Gaslight Dancer, who returns to the starting gate on Saturday in the Gun Runner S. at Kentucky Downs.

The post Big Dreams in Mind for City of Light’s New Rising Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Stallion News: Kevin Blake And Jack Cantillon Buy Smart Sprinter Bouttemont

Kevin Blake and Jack Cantillon have secured French sprinter Bouttemont (Ire), who they are targeting at a rare Group 1 double in the Flying Five and Prix de l'Abbaye, before standing the highly-rated son of Acclamation (GB) in Ireland. 

Bouttemont will see out his career with current trainer Yann Barberot and will race in the colours of Syndicates.Racing, the successful ownership group which is headed by Cantillon. 

A number of packages that include racing and breeding rights are available in the Group 3 winner with Blake describing the opportunity to invest in Bouttemont as a rare one for prospective investors.

The well-known racing pundit and breeder told TDN Europe, “We're doing things a little bit different in that people can get into Bouttemont for the remainder of his racing career and also secure breeding rights. This is a new partnership between Jack and myself and I really believe that Bouttemont is quite a compelling horse. He has the form, the profile, the looks and the pedigree. You'd like to think he'd be an appealing horse at that level.

“I think it's quite a unique thing that, anyone who gets involved in the horse at this stage, they get to rock up to the Irish Champions Festival in a few weeks' time and then on to Longchamp with a share in a Group 1 runner on Arc day. You don't usually get an opportunity to do this sort of thing without spending an awful lot of money so it's a pretty interesting opportunity.”

Bouttemont landed the Group 3 Barriere Prix de Meautry at Deauville a year ago. He posted an impressive speed figure when landing a listed contest at Chantilly over the minimum trip back in June and Blake says he is confident that the five-year-old has more to offer over five furlongs. 

He explained, “Bouttemont ran to an RPR of 116 when he won the Prix Hampton at Chantilly and that's the performance that I'd be focussing in on because an RPR of 116 would have been good enough to win or finish second in any of the past five Flying Fives or Prix de l'Abbayes. The ability to be good and competitive in those races is there when he gets his conditions.”

Blake added, “Nearly every person we've bounced the idea of the horse to can see the case and have shown a lot of enthusiasm. In most cases, people wouldn't have been familiar with the horse but, when you explain what you're thinking and provide them with the information, they can see it and are quite excited by it. Again, it's the uniqueness of being able to get in on a racing and breeding level which is appealing to a lot of people.”

Bouttemont may represent Blake's first endeavour into standing a stallion but this won't be Cantillon's first rodeo. Far Above (Ire), who stands at Micheál Orlandi's Starfield Stud in County Westmeath, was sourced by Cantillon and covered 142 mares in his first season at stud.

Commenting on his latest stallion acquisition, Cantillon said, “I don't think people should get confused about the fact they could achieve two things that they might otherwise never achieve in their lifetime here. When you pick up the TDN over the next few weeks and months, you will read announcements about horses retiring to stud. This isn't a stallion retiring announcement. This is a stallion prospect being reimagined. 

“What really excites me about this is that, not only do people have the opportunity to own a breeding right in one of the highest-rated sons of Acclamation, but they also have the upside of racing. People can accomplish the lifelong goal of owning a stallion and ultimate life goal of owning a Group 1 runner with a live chance as well.”

He added, “Dealing in cold hard facts, this horse gave a performance in the Prix Hampton which places him on a career higher-rating RPR than Mehmas and Dark Angel, achieved a top speed of 72 kilometers per hour in that race and almost broke the track record. He's an exceptionally-quick horse.

“I have always gotten on very well with Kevin and we have combined what we are good at here; identifying value and being a champion of the breeder, which involves new ways for breeders to get involved in our great game. Hopefully we have unearthed the next great stallion son of Acclamation and, who knows, he could be the last son of Acclamation who ever retires to stud. Even if he doesn't get his ground in his remaining Group 1 dates, he already has the proven credentials of the type of horse that thrives at stud in Ireland.”

Acclamation has already come up trumps with stallion sons Mehmas (Ire), Dark Angel (Ire) and more emerging as leading stallions having embarked on their careers at stud at modest fees initially. 

The prowess of Acclamation as a sire of sires was illustrated by Blake in last month's TDN Europe and the research for that article is said to have convinced him to bring Bouttemont to stud in Ireland.

Blake said, “The origin story is that I was doing a piece on sires of sires for TDN Europe and Acclamation came out with the big double red circle around his name. This purchase was the product of a lot of groundwork as Jack and I have been working on partnering on a stallion for the last number of years. It took time to find the right one but Bouttemont jumped off the page.”

He added, “This part of the world is full of breeders that have had great experiences with Acclamation and his sons Dark Angel and Mehmas. We couldn't be more excited to help bring what might be the last new stallion son of Acclamation back home to Ireland and offer him to breeders at an accessible level.”

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GISW and BC Runner-Up Smooth Like Strait to War Horse Place

Grade I winner Smooth Like Straight (Midnight Lute–Smooth as Usual, by Flower Alley), retired sound from racing in March, will stand in 2024 at War Horse Place near Lexington, where his fee will be $3,500 live foal. Blood-Horse was the first with the story.

A Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC homebred trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait campaigned for five seasons and won five graded events, including the 2021 GI Shoemaker Mile S, the 2020 GII Twilight Derby, and the 2020 GII Mathis Brothers Mile S. He was also runner-up to Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Mile and placed in six other Grade I races. The 6-year-old retires with a record of 26-7-9-3 and earnings of $1,813,863.

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